by Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY

by Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY

There must have been a lot of stress on the team tasked with creating a new video game based on the hit zombie television series The Walking Dead.

Not only do fans have high expectations from such a game - since it's based on a show they feel personally connected to - but gamers already have an outstanding The Walking Dead video game thanks to last year's 5-part series from Telltale Games (which won USA TODAY's Game of the Year nod).

No pressure, right?

While not a complete disaster, AMC's The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct ($49.99) doesn't really offer much for fans of first-person shooters or survival horror games, nor does it live up to the Emmy award-winning TV show or beloved comic.

Instead, it's a mediocre action game that might be best played as a weekend rental.

Serving as a prequel to the show, you play as Daryl Dixon, a southern hunter adept with a crossbow and other weapons. Norman Reedus, who plays Dixon in the television series, lends his likeness and voice to the in-game character. Alongside your brother Merle (voiced by Michael Rooker), you'll fend off the "walking dead" (a.k.a. "walkers") throughout the Georgia countryside, interact with other survivors and use your expert tracking skills to work your way to Atlanta.

As you'd expect, Terminal Reality's first-person shooter is action-heavy, but you're encouraged to play stealthily - sneaking up on zombies with a knife or blunt weapon to limit the attention you draw - but you can also go in with firearms blazing, if desired. The game also folds in elements of exploration (with different ways to approach the levels), decision making (choose which survivors to help you, or none at all), some tactics (toss bottles to distract zombies) and resource management (rationing supplies and scavenging items that can help you survive, such as food, medicine, gas cans and ammo).

Survival Instinct also lets you take on some optional side missions with townsfolk and choose between back roads or highways, each with pros and cons.

Sounds good on paper, perhaps, but the survivors you interact with seem vacant and lifeless - especially when compared to the rich, believable characters in Telltale's The Walking Dead games. Frankly, you don't care about survivors in this game, which is a problem, and also contradictory to the character depth offered by the television series.

Other issues are bland and repetitive environments, outdated graphics, some artificial intelligence (A.I.) issues and technical glitches - like objects that float above the ground and the occasional freeze (Xbox 360 version).

While not terribly short - yielding between 7 and 8 hours of play - Survival Instinct doesn't offer any multiplayer modes, which hurts its replayability.

In short, this game disappoints. Unless you're a huge fan and are curious enough to rent it for the weekend, leave this disc on the shelf.